Maltese believe their washing machine wastes the most water at home, but it turns out they are quite wrong. 

A nationwide survey conducted as part of a new awareness campaign, found that 48 per cent of Maltese thought their washing machine was the main offender when it came to guzzling up water. 

Maltese were asked how long they spend in the shower everyday.

However, according to a new water saving awareness campaign, showers and toilet flushing systems actually took up between 60 and 70 per cent of all the water used at home. 

Washing machines, on average were responsible for just around 10 per cent of household demand. 

Manuel Sapiano, who heads the Energy and Water Agency, on Monday told reporters that it was misconceptions like this that the authorities hoped to clarify. 

The three-year awareness initiative was launched by Energy and Water Management Minister Joe Mizzi on Monday, and is being run by the EWA. 

What will the initiative do? 

Through the awareness raising campaign, water saving kits will be distributed to every household on the island as part of a new conservation program.

The program will also see a team of technical experts from the agency visit towns and villages across the island, to provide advice on ways to optimise water usage. 

The experts will conduct water usage audits, to help selected households find the leading causes of excessive water use. 

Educational campaigns will also be carried out in schools, and across social and traditional media platforms. 

What did the survey find?

Nearly two in every three Maltese have no water saving technologies in their home, a nationwide survey has found. 

The survey found that while 67% of Maltese households had no water saving technology, one in five households had introduced water filters. 

Flushing the toilet uses up huge amount of water.

One in every 10 Maltese said they had a reverse osmosis system, and 6% had installed volume reducers.

Around 5% had installed aerators to help manage the water flow from their faucets and shower heads. Three per cent had introduced a system for used water. 

The benefits of short showers

The survey found that some 38 per cent of Maltese take five-minute, or less, showers. 

Pretty much the same amount said they spent up to 10 minutes in the shower every day, while one in every five Maltese said they enjoy 15 minute showers every day. 

Six billion litres could be saved

Preliminary findings, Mr Sapiano said, showed that some six billion litres of water could be saved annually if all Maltese limited their showers to just five minutes or less. 

Agriculture takes up 30 percent of the fresh water on the island. The program team were quick to point out that efforts were underway to encourage farmers to use more efficient irrigation systems, as well as grey water that is polished at specialized plants. 

Measures to reduce water losses

Monday’s program launch follows a €150 million Water Services Corporation overhaul back in April, the largest-ever Cohesion Policy financing for a project in Malta.

That project focuses on improving the capacity and efficiency of seawater desalination. 

The corporation’s ground water extraction is also being reduced by 4 billion litres per year. 

A new reverse osmosis plant is also being built in Gozo with a production capacity of 9 million litres per day. And there will be an overhaul of the distribution and blending system, central to which is a €33 million tunnel from Pembroke to Ta’ Qali. 

Major upgrades are also being undertaken on the sewage network with new treatment technology being introduced.

A maximum of 7 billion litres a year of recycled water are also being made available to the agricultural community through over 70 kilometres of network and over 400 automated dispensers.

Earlier this year, a water conservation lobby group announced that it would disband in the face of growing apathy.